The use of vehicle simulators which simulate the operation of vehicles, such as race cars and aircraft, for entertainment is becoming widespread. Also, apparatus which simulate the operation of vehicles are increasingly being used as training devices for government and industry vehicle operators. Such apparatus can be programmed to realistically simulate the motion of a vehicle through two or three-dimensional space, and can also provide relatively realistic simulation of the control of the vehicle. Importantly, it is safer and more cost effective for a person to be entertained or trained on a video simulator, as compared with a real vehicle. It is to be understood that for purposes of the present invention, a "simulator" may be a conventional simulator, which presents a visual model of a simulated space, or a simulator which presents an image of a so-called "virtual reality" or "artificial reality". Such a simulator can stimulate one or more of the five human senses to present a more complete model of a "true" reality.
Typically, a vehicle simulator has a computer which displays on a monitor a constantly changing video picture of a simulated three dimensional space. The "window" presented on the monitor is ordinarily the view of the simulated space as would be seen from the driver's seat of the simulated vehicle. Thus, as the simulated vehicle "moves" through the simulated space, the video display is constantly updated by the computer to model the motion of the vehicle.
Whether the vehicle simulator is to be used for training or entertainment, it is desirable to provide the operator of the simulated vehicle with a panoramic display of the simulated space through which the simulated vehicle is to travel. This is to provide a more effective simulation of the view that an operator of a vehicle to be modelled would see from the driver's seat of the actual modelled vehicle.
Not surprisingly, devices have been proposed which use more than a single video monitor to provide a panoramic "window" of the simulated space. Representative of these devices is the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,672 to Osofsky et al., which describes an aircraft simulator that uses three video monitors to display a panoramic window of a simulated space. As the simulated aircraft described in the Osofsky et al. patent moves through the simulated space, the images presented on the video monitors are updated as appropriate to model the motion of the aircraft.
As envisioned by the Osofsky et al. simulator, each of the three monitors is spatially congruent with the sector of simulated space displayed on the monitor. More specifically, the images presented on each monitor have the same perspective to the viewer as would the corresponding real-world objects that would occupy the same sector of space as that presented by the particular monitor.
While effective for its intended purpose, it is unfortunately the case that to coordinate the windows presented by each monitor to display a panoramic view of the simulated space, the monitors of the Osofsky et al. flight simulator require relatively powerful video drivers to relay the video commands from the controller to each of the three monitors. As a further consequence, relatively powerful electrical drivers are required to drive the relatively larger electrical harnesses to conduct the video commands from the controller to each of the three monitors.
As is well-known in the art, such electrical harnesses can, when energized, induce electromagnetic signals that can interfere with the operation of nearby electrical equipment. Besides being technically undesirable, such interference may not comport with governmental regulations regarding acceptable levels of electromagnetic interference. Accordingly, relatively lengthy electrical harnesses typically must be electrically shielded. Unfortunately, shielding of harnesses increases driver power requirements, which in combination with the shielded longer harnesses increases the expense of the apparatus, as compared to apparatus that use short harnesses with energy contents that do not require shielding. Further, depending on a variety of factors, such shielding may not be completely effective in preventing electromagnetic interference.
In addition to the above-mentioned drawbacks, it is the case that the video monitors many, if not most, multi-monitor simulators cannot be easily relocated from one position on the simulator to another, and still maintain spatial congruence between the relocated monitor and the "window" presented on the monitor. This is unfortunate, because it may be desirable, depending on the application of the particular simulator, to move the location of a monitor on the simulator as utilization requirements dictate, while maintaining congruence between the monitor and the sector of simulated space displayed on the monitor. For example, in an automobile simulator, it may be desirable to present a view of the simulated space behind the position of the driver, to support practicing driving the simulated automobile in reverse.
The present invention recognizes that it is possible to provide a multi-monitor simulator in which one or more of the monitors can relatively easily be relocated on the simulator, and still maintain congruence between the monitor and the sector of simulated space displayed on the monitor. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-monitor vehicle simulator in which one or more of the monitors can relatively easily be relocated on the simulator, while maintaining congruence between the relocated monitor and the sector of simulated space displayed on the monitor.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a multi-monitor vehicle simulator which does not require comparatively powerful video drivers.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a multi-monitor vehicle simulator which does not require the use of relatively lengthy electrical harnesses and concomitant peripheral equipment which would otherwise be required to reduce electromagnetic interference from the harness.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-monitor vehicle simulator which is relatively easy and effective to use, and comparatively cost-effective to manufacture.
The present invention is accordingly a compact multichannel simulator which, because of its compact nature, can be used in many existing training and entertainment facilities.